A Hard Look at Casualty Numbers

Soldiering is a dangerous business -- even in peacetime -- and we mourn the death of any member of our armed forces no matter what its cause. A new report for members of Congress from the Congressional Research Service provides some astounding statistics:

During the five-year period from March 19, 2003 to April 5, 2008, 4,005 members of our armed forces died in Operation Iraqi Freedom from all causes including illness and accident. This averages 801 deaths per year -- and every one a tragedy.

But the CRS also reports that in 2003, the total number of deaths among members of the active-duty US armed forces totaled 1,410 -- which means that Iraq accounted for a bit more than 50 percent of the total. The corresponding numbers for 2004 are 1,873, for 2005 up slightly to 1,941 and for 2006 down slightly to 1,875.

What's astonishing is that the corresponding number of active-duty deaths for 1982 -- President Reagan's first full year in office -- is 2,319. In 1989 - when President Reagan left office in January to be succeeded by President George H.W. Bush - total military deaths were 1,693.

In short, what the CRS study shows is that each year between 1,000 and 2,000 members of our active-duty armed forces die regardless of whether we're at war or peace.

In case you were wondering, back in 1980 -- President Jimmy Carter's last full year in office -- the total number of active-duty military deaths was 2,392 - higher than the number in any year of George W. Bush's presidency.

Read the CRS report; it's an eye-opener.

Update from Dennis Sevakis:

Some perspective on the number of military deaths during the Iraq/Afghanistan war years versus earlier periods

Figures in yellow are the rates per 100,000 of total full-time-equivalent (FTE) military personnel.

[http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/Death_Rates.pdf], accessed on June 27, 2007.

Notes: As of February 28, 2007 (reflects preliminary counts for 2006 and revised figures for 2004 AND 2005).

a. Official Department of Defense end-strengths as of December 31 for military pay accounts.

Excludes full time Guard and Reserve.

b. Full time equivalent (FTE) is based on official Department of Defense fiscal year end selected

reserve strength (10% of the figure is used to estimate days on active duty).

Soldiering is a dangerous business -- even in peacetime -- and we mourn the death of any member of our armed forces no matter what its cause. A new report for members of Congress from the Congressional Research Service provides some astounding statistics:

During the five-year period from March 19, 2003 to April 5, 2008, 4,005 members of our armed forces died in Operation Iraqi Freedom from all causes including illness and accident. This averages 801 deaths per year -- and every one a tragedy.

But the CRS also reports that in 2003, the total number of deaths among members of the active-duty US armed forces totaled 1,410 -- which means that Iraq accounted for a bit more than 50 percent of the total. The corresponding numbers for 2004 are 1,873, for 2005 up slightly to 1,941 and for 2006 down slightly to 1,875.

What's astonishing is that the corresponding number of active-duty deaths for 1982 -- President Reagan's first full year in office -- is 2,319. In 1989 - when President Reagan left office in January to be succeeded by President George H.W. Bush - total military deaths were 1,693.

In short, what the CRS study shows is that each year between 1,000 and 2,000 members of our active-duty armed forces die regardless of whether we're at war or peace.

In case you were wondering, back in 1980 -- President Jimmy Carter's last full year in office -- the total number of active-duty military deaths was 2,392 - higher than the number in any year of George W. Bush's presidency.

Read the CRS report; it's an eye-opener.

Update from Dennis Sevakis:

Some perspective on the number of military deaths during the Iraq/Afghanistan war years versus earlier periods

Figures in yellow are the rates per 100,000 of total full-time-equivalent (FTE) military personnel.